Author: Trafficblast

Destiny 2 Festival Of The Lost Event Skins Have Leaked

With Halloween still a while away, a handful of Destiny 2‘s Festival of the Lost items for 2020 have been leaked by a dataminer. The early promo images show a Dracula-themed Warlock, werewolf Hunter, and Titan as Frankenstein’s monster.

Festival of the Lost has been a yearly event in Destiny 2, offering unique items, a new limited currency called “candy”, and a bunch of Halloween masks to unlock. It’s likely the Festival of the Lost in 2020 will run along the same lines, so check out last year’s event to know what kind of challenges and rewards you can expect.

The leaked images show new Halloween costumes for each class, as well as a witch-themed shell complete with a broomstick and cat for Ghost.

Dataminer Ginsor has also posted a video of one of the masks that will be available to players for this year’s festival, the Exo Stranger mask. As with previous years, it’s likely that mask-wearing will be key to completing Halloween-themed events, and we can expect a number of different options to be revealed.

With the Festival of the Dead usually running in the last few days of October, we’re unlikely to see an official announcement from Bungie for at least another month. Players aren’t expecting the festival to be overly ambitious this year, as it comes close to the release of Beyond Light, Destiny 2’s next big expansion due to drop on November 10.

Now Playing: Destiny 2: Beyond Light Trailer | Gamescom 2020

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Xbox Series S: No, Microsoft Did Not Intentionally Leak The News

One theory about the Xbox Series S that has gained traction on social media is that Microsoft intentionally leaked the console to the press to put pressure on Sony. That’s a bunch of baloney according to Xbox developers who worked on the announcement.

Microsoft’s Brad Rossetti said on Twitter, “We all tried so hard to not leak; running global programs is hard and the leak is so frustrating. Yeah great, you got a scoop, but so many better try hard to keep it under wraps for so many reasons.”

Meanwhile, Xbox’s senior marketing manager, Josh Munsee, joked on Twitter that the Series S announcement went exactly as the company planned it.

Following a series of leaks, Microsoft officially announced the Xbox Series S after midnight PT on September 9, and that right there should be evidence enough that revealing the console this way was not the plan. Even before the leaks this week, the Xbox Series S had been an open secret thanks to numerous leaks and reports over the months.

The announcement of the Series S might not have gone to Microsoft’s plan, but the console has been received in a positive light, due in part to a lower price point than many imagined.

The Series S costs $299 and it will be an attractive system for those looking to buy into next-gen without breaking the bank. The console lacks a disc drive, and that may prove to be a deal-breaker for some, however.

The Series S launches on November 10, and that is the same day that Microsoft will reportedly launch the more powerful Xbox Series X for $499 USD.

While Microsoft has begun to share its launch plans for the next-gen Xbox consoles, Sony is keeping that information a secret for now. We still don’t know when the PS5 and the Digital PS5 will release or how much they will cost.

Now Playing: Xbox Series S – World Premiere Price And Release Date Reveal Trailer

Daily Deals: Get 450% More Battery Life for Your Nintendo Switch for Only $24

The Nintendo Switch Labor Day deals continue with the lowest price ever on a 20,000mAh power bank that’s a perfect match for the Switch. You can also get several AAA Nintendo Switch video games like Mario Maker 2 or Splatoon 2 for 33% off.  Even bigger news is that Super Mario 3D All-Stars is up for preorder. You don’t have to wait months to play this game… it’s out in just 10 days.

Deals for September 8

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=daily-deals-september-8-2020″]

More Video Game Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=daily-deals-games-roundup”]

PS5 Preorder Guide

The PS5 is out within the year (at least, that’s what we assume) and yet preorder info has been scant. Fortunately for you, we have a preorder guide up with everything we know so far. As soon as we know exactly when preorders go up, we’ll make sure that you’ll have a chance to get your order in.

______________________________
Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out his latest Daily Deals Article and subscribe to his IGN Deals Newsletter.

Nintendo Reportedly Asking Developers to Make 4K-Ready Games, Suggesting Switch Upgrade

Nintendo is reportedly asking developers to make 4K-ready games, which could suggest that a new, higher-resolution console is on the way

A Bloomberg report about Nintendo’s plans to boost Switch production includes a brief mention of Nintendo’s apparent request. Third-party developers have reportedly been asked “to make their games 4K-ready,” which implies the company is at least considering a model of the console that can output at a higher resolution than Switch is currently capable of.

That report comes shortly after we heard rumours of a new Nintendo Switch model with a better display. Those rumours say the console is currently in production, and is due for release in Q1 2021. Rumours of a Switch Pro have been bubbling for some time, with numerous reports arriving in January suggesting that the console would launch later in 2020. Nintendo was quick to bat away these rumours, noting that they had “no plans” to launch a new Nintendo Switch model this year.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=top-25-nintendo-switch-games&captions=true”]

As for the current Switch models, Bloomberg notes that, after recovering from the effects of the Coronavirus on its supply chain, Nintendo has apparently increased production of the console once again to meet demand, with 30 million units set as the new goal for this fiscal year, according to the report’s sources.

In other Nintendo news, demand for the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection has made it the second best-selling game of 2020 on Amazon, coming in just behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Nintendo Switch eShop also just received a series of customer-friendly improvements, such as being able to cancel pre-orders without payment up to a week before release.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley Reveals That Rey Was Almost A Kenobi

In a new interview for Jimmy Kimmel Live, Josh Gad sat down with Star Wars star Daisy Ridley to ask her “more nagging questions” about the franchise, now that there’s nothing left to spoil. Chief among them was a question we’ve all wanted to ask since Rise of Skywalker premiered–was Rey always destined to be a Palpatine?

The answer is, predictably, no. “At the beginning there was toying with an Obi Wan connection,” Ridley says–something fans picked up on early on as they tried to figure out the puzzle of Rey’s heritage. In the flashback moment when Rey first picks up the lightsaber in The Force Awakens, you can hear Obi Wan’s voice saying “Rey” and “these are your first steps,” the former taken from Alec Guinesses’ performance in the original trilogy and the latter recorded by the prequel trilogy’s Obi Wan, Ewan McGregor.

The question of Rey’s parentage is answered outright in The Last Jedi, and apparently that answer was meant to be the final one. “There were different versions,” Ridley explained. “And then it really went to that she was no one.”

Even when production on Episode IX started, apparently the final answer still hadn’t been decided on. “JJ pitched me the film and was like, ‘oh yeah, Palpatine’s granddaddy,’ and I was like ‘awesome.’ And then two weeks later he was look ‘oh we’re not sure.’ So it kept changing.”

Gad also asked if Ridley knew who Palpatine got busy with in order to have children and grandchildren, but this wasn’t a question she had the answers to, thankfully.

As far as what’s next for Ridley after Star Wars, she’s set to make her non-Star Wars video game debut in Annapurna Interactive’s Twelve Minutes, which is due to launch by the end of the year. When asked if she would ever return to Rey and the Star Wars universe, Ridley said, “I say never say never, but to me Rise of Skywalker was tied up with a bow.”

Now Playing: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoiler Review & Breakdown

Just Cause Developer Avalanche Studios Is Hiring For Its Biggest AAA Project Yet

Swedish game company Avalanche Studios Group has done a lot of expanding in recent years, and now is beefing up its New York team in preparation for “the largest and greatest AAA project we’ve ever taken on.”

Industry analyst MauroNL compiled some of the details from Avalanche job listings on Twitter, revealing that the New York studio branch is preparing for something big.

While Avalanche Studios Group has a number of offices around the world, and three separate divisions under its label, the New York office is part of Avalanche Studio, the division that handles externally-published large-scale AAA games like Rage 2 or the Just Cause series.

A job listing for a system programmer says the studio is “looking for a System Programmer to join our ranks in creating the largest and greatest AAA project we’ve ever taken on,” listing it as a great opportunity “to play an instrumental role on developing our next-generation game.”

Another listing for a gameplay animation programmer says “on this project we want to push animation quality a lot further than we have done previously and this will require us to take our animation technology to the bleeding edge.” Another listing for a senior world designer confirms that the game will be open world and externally published.

While the upcoming game could be another entry in the Just Cause series, it could also be a new IP, or a game based on a film or TV show like Mad Max, developed by Avalanche in partnership with Warner Bros in 2015.

Now Playing: Rage 2 – What Is Rage 2? Official Trailer

Nintendo Is Reportedly Boosting Switch Production Numbers

The Nintendo Switch has sold over 55 million units since its launch in 2017, and now it seems that Nintendo is gearing up for a strong finish to 2020. The company has reportedly increased production on the Switch to meet expected demand.

Bloomberg has reported that Nintendo is looking to increase its production goal by up to 20%, which would mean producing 30 million units during the current fiscal year. In August, its production order was raised to 25 million, but now it’s aiming even higher.

Earlier this year, COVID-19 led to production challenges for the Switch that led to low stock; as of early August, Nintendo said that their production chain had almost recovered. The system has seen some huge sales figures this year: Animal Crossing: New Horizons has achieved incredible sales figures, surpassing 22 million units sold since its release in March. The game is expected to be popular over the holidays, too.

According to industry tracker Katsuhiko Hayashi, who is quoted in the article, “Switch sales are likely to gain further momentum at the year-end.”

Bloomberg has previously reported that Nintendo is planning on releasing an upgraded version of the Switch in 2021, although this has not been made official.

Nintendo’s end-of-year line-up is beginning to take shape, with Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity looking to be big releases for Christmas 2020.

Now Playing: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity – Official Announcement Trailer

Borat 2 Is Happening, And It’s Already Finished Filming – Report

Big news today for fans of Sacha Baron Cohen and his Borat character, as Collider is reporting that not only is Borat 2 happening, but it’s already finished filming.

According to the report, the character Borat–a TV personality from Kazakhstan–is now a big star after his adventures in the 2006 film. Now that people recognize him, he needs to go undercover to film his interviews.

A source told Collider that the sequel is more akin to “Cohen playing Borat playing Cohen,” but another source said that is not the case. Also unknown is who is financing the film, though the site suggests it may be a streaming service. The film is reportedly planned for release ahead of the November US election to help reach and influence young people.

The new film has been secretly filming in Los Angeles this year, and social media reports have documented some of the production (see below).

Borat made $262 million worldwide at the box office. Cohen’s follow-up movies, Bruno and The Dictator, did not perform as well at the box office. More recently, Cohen created the Showtime political parody show Who Is America?

Fall Guys Never Really Die; They Achieve Serenity And Then Respawn

We’ve learned a little more about the Fall Guys lore thanks to a delightful interview with the developers conducted by The Gamer. One of the more interesting takeaways from the interview is regarding what happens to a Fall Guys blob when they fall off the map.

Lead designer Joe Walsh described what the Fall Guy is feeling when they crash to their death. “A moment of displacement, serenity, zen-like detachment from all worldly and physical bonds… Then they pop back onto the podium to celebrate their achievements!” he said.

According to the Fall Guys lore, the fallen Fall Guy is resurrected as opposed to spawning a new one. “What you’re seeing when you respawn is the same Fall Guy. So the more you play the more you’ve been through together. You’ve put that Fall Guy through a lot, you know. Make sure you thank them by buying them a new outfit once in a while,” Walsh said.

When Fall Guys characters fall, they drop into slimy ooze. Walsh confirmed that this is just regular old slime, and it is definitely not made of dead Fall Guys. “They’re falling a pretty long way so we felt like it was only fair we cushioned their fall a bit. I can confirm it’s not dead Fall Guys though, no matter what Devolver might say,” Walsh said.

The interview has so many more excellent nuggets, including the confirmation that there are no Fall Guys children. “Fall Guys pop into existence fully grown and ready to compete, so there are no ‘baby’ Fall Guys (although I reserve the right to completely change my mind at a later date),” Walsh said.

Please read the full interview here at The Gamer.

In other news, the developers of Fall Guys recently spoke about how the game will adopt Fortnite’s anti-cheating tools going forward.

Now Playing: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Acorn And Pine Cone DIYs

Each season in Animal Crossing: New Horizons brings with it a new set of seasonal DIY recipes and materials to collect. While summer has just a handful of shell-related DIYs and only one seasonal material, the summer shell, fall has three different sets of recipes with quite a few different resources to find throughout the season. The first of these sets uses a combination of two materials you can find starting on the first day of autumn: acorns and pine cones.

In New Horizons, fall begins on September 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and March 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. The season continues until the last day of November or May, respectively, and you can find acorns and pine cones, as well as their associated recipes, all season long. Here’s how you can get the materials and DIYs.

The recipe for tree's bounty little tree as shown in a New Horizons trailer.
The recipe for tree’s bounty little tree as shown in a New Horizons trailer.

How To Get Acorns And Pine Cones

To find acorns and pine cones, you’ll need to shake your trees once a day during fall. Acorns drop from hardwood trees (the ones that look like fruit trees but don’t bear fruit), while pine cones drop from cedar trees. You’ll want a healthy mix of both types to maximize your chances of finding acorns and pine cones. Just be careful, because five wasp nests will drop from random trees each day, leading to a wasp attack–keep your net out while you shake so you can catch wasps easily and avoid stings.

Both materials are relatively rare, and you’ll likely only get one of each per day, if any. You can travel to mystery islands using Nook Miles Tickets if you want to try getting a few more each day, since acorns and pine cones can drop on those islands too.

How To Get Fall DIY Recipes

As we mentioned above, there are three sets of fall DIY recipes to collect. Acorns and pine cones make up the initial set, which you can find throughout the entire season. Then, in November (Northern Hemisphere) or May (Southern Hemisphere), you can find mushrooms and mushroom DIYs, and finally, you can find maple leaves and maple leaf DIYs from November 16–25 or May 16–25. Some of the maple leaf DIYs also require acorns and pine cones, but they can only be found during that 10-day period rather than throughout the entire season.

Like with any seasonal DIY recipes, you can only get them through balloon gifts–the one exception is the tree’s bounty little tree recipe, which Isabelle will give you at the start of fall. See our full guide to balloon gifts in New Horizons for an explanation of when they appear and tips on how to farm balloons for seasonal DIYs.

All Acorn And Pine Cone Recipes

Below are all the acorn and pine cone recipes you can find throughout the fall season. Note that this list does not include tree’s bounty big tree or tree’s bounty arch because although they require acorns and pine cones, they can only be found during the 10-day maple leaf season toward the end of fall.

  • tree’s bounty little tree
  • tree’s bounty mobile
  • tree’s bounty lamp
  • traditional balancing toy
  • pile of leaves
  • yellow-leaf pile
  • leaf campfire
  • acorn pochette
  • pine bonsai tree

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.